Poetica Lingua: Journal of Literary and Linguistic Research
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): :February: Poetica Lingua: Journal of Literary and Linguistic Research

Politeness Strategies in Multicultural Interaction: A Pragmatic Study of Urban Communities

Imam Syafi'i (Majelis Kehormatan Forum Masyarakat Nusantara Indonesia Kabupaten Lamongan)
Musyawir Musyawir (Universitas Iqra Buru)
Aswanto Aswanto (Universitas Teknologi dan Bisnis Master)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Feb 2026

Abstract

This study investigates politeness strategies in multicultural urban communities through an empirical qualitative pragmatic design based on naturally occurring conversational data and ethnographic observation. The analysis demonstrates that urban speakers employ indirect requests, mitigated refusals, layered apologies, humor, and collective framing as adaptive facework resources in contexts marked by cultural heterogeneity and interactional uncertainty. Findings indicate that indirectness functions as pragmatic caution, enabling relational alignment without presuming shared normative expectations, while humor operates as an affiliative tool that simultaneously carries intercultural risk. Institutional environments such as workplaces, service encounters, faith-based spaces, and digital platforms further shape politeness realization by imposing hierarchical constraints and medium-specific pressures. Quantitative distributions of coded strategies confirm the centrality of mitigation and preparatory moves in high-imposition speech acts. The study advances politeness theory by emphasizing the emergence of hybrid urban norms generated through contact, mediation, and symbolic sensitivity. Methodologically, it contributes a discourse-pragmatic framework that captures politeness as a negotiated civic practice sustaining multicultural coexistence.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

poeticalingua

Publisher

Subject

Description

Poetica Lingua: Journal of Literary and Linguistic Research is a peer-reviewed, open-access academic journal dedicated to the advancement of scholarly research in the fields of literary studies and linguistics. The journal aims to provide an inclusive and international platform for researchers, ...